Balak

Balak was a Black Moranth serving under the command of Twist. He wore the black-hued plated armour, gauntlets, and helmet typical of his people.

In Kellanved's Reach

Many years before the Moranth allied with the Malazan Empire, Twist had been one of several high commanders within the Black caste who had questioned the right of the Gold caste to rule their race. For this, he and his like minded soldiers like Balak had been arrested, tried, and exiled from their homeland. Twist's group left Genabackis by ship and were eventually shipwrecked on a blasted wasteland south of Stratem that some called the Sea of Glass. As they built a small, ramshackle raft to continue their journey, they discovered Dancer and Kellanved unconscious in the desert.

Balak nursed the two humans back to health while the other Moranth built their raft. As Dancer's health improved, he and Balak developed a shared vocabulary so they could converse. Kellanved attempted to bargain for a place on the raft by promising to transport them back to Genabackis via Warren once they sailed far enough away from the desert's damaged and inaccessible warrens. Balak echoed the collective Moranth's doubts saying magic was a tool of their lowlander enemies and one that was difficult to trust.

Twist begrudgingly made room for the pair, but warned Kellanved that if he failed to honour his side of the bargain, he and his men would dismember and eat the mage for food. After a day, Twist moved to act on his threat. Kellanved was able to hurriedly transport them to a field of tall grass along a rocky shoreline. In the process, a number of Moranth were tossed from the raft. It was unclear if Balak safely completed the journey.

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